Book opens the doors to staying in convents and monasteries

Good Night and God Bless is a guidebook for people looking to stay at convents and monasteries while visiting Europe.

Photograph by: Handout photo
, Canwest News Service

Good Night & God Bless:

A Guide to Convent & Monastery Accommodation In Europe

Volume 1: Austria, Czech Republic, Italy

By Trish Clark

Hidden Spring, a division of Paulist Press; 264 pages; $20

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Ever traipse around a city for hours searching in vain for a hotel with vacancy, then exclaim "oh thank God!" when you finally find one?

Trish Clark knows that feeling well.

Especially the God part.

In 1970, she was backpacking in Rome and, finding her youth hostel of choice fully booked, reluctantly ended up at a convent near the Spanish Steps.

Would there be rigid rules? Would the sisters be stone-faced? Would fun be banned? Would she be forced to pray? The questions clanged in her head like church bells.

But Clark's fears were quickly hushed when she was greeted warmly, then led to a former nun's cell that was both clean and comfortable.

"I was woken by the sound of the nuns singing hymns during morning Mass. I soon learned that when the singing stopped breakfast was ready," says the Australia-based Clark.

At the table, she was joined by other travellers who shared stories and tips as they dined on fresh bread rolls, homemade jam and "delicious, steaming hot, milky coffee." The experience was so exceptional that Clark continued to seek out similar accommodations.

Now, 39 years later, Clark has penned a guidebook to monastery and convent accommodation in Europe called Good Night & God Bless. The first volume covers Austria, Czech Republic and Italy (Volume II: France, England and Ireland, is due out in January).

It's a guide for everybody, focusing on some of the cheap, safe and well-located accommodation that you may have bypassed if you've been sticking to the mainstream hotel circuit.

"Hospitality has long been a tradition of religious orders," points out Clark.

Couple that with the fact that many monasteries and convents are dealing with soaring maintenance costs and declining enrolment and you can see why they've had to get creative and open their doors to tourists.

The colourful, easy-to-navigate pages of Good Night & God Bless are divided into two categories: "open houses" and "spiritual retreats."

"Open houses" welcome both men and women, married couples, families and singles of all faiths or none.

"From my experience no one will be asked what faith they adhere to or if they don't adhere to any," says Clark.

Another misconception associated with religious accommodation is that prayer is mandatory.

"There is no obligation to attend any religious services and no pressure to do so will be applied," reports Clark.

The "spiritual retreats" have a more religious slant, and are geared to pilgrims or visitors seeking quiet reflection.

You might be surprised at just how prime some of the monastery/convent real estate is.

One of Clark's all-time favourites is situated in Nice, France, right on the beach.

Breakfast and dinner are served on a large stone terrace where visitors can worship the view of the Mediterranean.